Touched by Heaven And a Little Magic, Too
by Victoria Hughes
Summary: [indefinite hiatus] HPxCCS crossover! Sakura and Syaoran are invited to Hogwarts Academy! But the uncaptured cards follow Sakura there ... and what happens when Harry and company are thrown in the mix? Chapter 4 UP! A Clow Card appears!
1. Wait, Did You Say Hogwarts?

**Touched by Heaven (And a Little Magic, Too)**

**By Vikki**

Disclaimer: I don't own Hogwarts or its students and staff, unfortunately. They belong to JKR. And even greater crying shame is that I don't own CCS, which belongs to CLAMP. ::bows at their collective feet:: I bow before you, O greater writers and drawers than I! ::cries::

Flame Policy: Just don't.

Author's Notes:  This is an HP/CCS crossover - something I am attempting because I think the idea is intriguing (although rather difficult to make feasible), and I wanted to make one that was at least decent, if not good.  The continuity is in the Card Captor Sakura manga rather than the anime; the story picks up at the end of manga 2, right after the capture of The Shadowy, and in the Potterverse it picks up at the beginning of GoF – OotP is too dark for my purposes.  Please do bear in mind that both universes will be skewed heavily into an alternate universe.  Enjoy!

*   *   *

**Prologue – Wait, did you say Hogwarts?**

                It was a perfectly average day for Li Syaoran – well, as average as things got when one was living alone in a foreign country searching for arcane items.  It was only two weeks into the new semester – Syaoran's first full semester in Japan – and already he was struggling with the Japanese.  Only the math came naturally – and that was because he didn't need to understand much of the foreign language to complete it.  With a sigh of frustration, Syaoran buried his head in his arms as he fell into his desk chair.

                And as if it wasn't bad enough that he had to attend a foreign school, his mission – collecting the Clow Cards – wasn't going at all well.  First of all, the Guardian Beast had selected a weakling of a girl as the new Card Mistress.  Secondly, things had been complicated by two discoveries – the Card Mistress' older brother was nasty, and his best friend – Yukito, wasn't it? – was very kind.  The fact that he was developing a crush on the latter was not helping – nor was the knowledge that he and the Card Mistress shared the same crush.

                Worse yet, the Card Mistress was really a very nice person, too.  Absently Syaoran's fingers drifted to the frilly handkerchief that he could not bring himself to part with.  The bloodstains on it were his own blood; the girl had delicately tied her handkerchief around his arm after the Shadow Card had injured him.  _Why did I protect her, anyway?  What sort of idiot am I?  And for that matter, why didn't I capture the card while I was there?_

                The phone rang.

                Jumping skyward, Syaoran started from his chair and picked up the phone.  "Nihao – uh – Moshi-moshi," he stuttered.

                "Xiao-lang."  The voice at the other end of the phone was calm and laced with power, like velvet over steel.

                Syaoran knew that voice all too well.  "Mama!" he exclaimed, stiffening instinctively.  _She must have gotten my last progress report._

Thus it was a great surprise to Syaoran when, instead of a cold reprimand for his failure yet _again_ to capture a card, she said, "I have a letter addressed to you in my hand.  It is from the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry."  There was a pregnant pause.

Syaoran blinked.  "Yes, Mama?"  He, like the rest of his family, knew of the prestigious England school.  Some of the best magicians in the world came out of that school – not the least among them being Clow Reed.

"They have invited you to attend."  Was Syaoran imagining things, or was there a note of pleasure in Mother's voice?  "I would like you accept the invitation."

Syaoran blinked again.  There were several things wrong with this picture, so Syaoran began with the obvious.  "Mama, the Clow Cards . . . ?"

"Do not worry about those.  You have said there is a Card Mistress, yes?"

"Yes, Mama, but . . ."

"I have reason to believe she, too, will be attending the School.  The cards will follow her to harass wherever she goes."

Syaoran raised his eyebrows skeptically.  _That weak girl?_  However, he knew better than to protest.  "There is a language issue, Mama."

"Nonsense.  You know enough English to get you through the School – unless you have been slacking off in your studies," his mother's voice turned threatening.

Syaoran hadn't been slacking off in his studies.  He was just even less confident in his English than he was in his Japanese.  "No, Mama.  I mean, yes, I think I know enough English.  But . . . what about Hong Kong Academy?"  He had been told that the local magical academy had been the school he would attend years ago, and since it was a Clan tradition, he didn't see why it would suddenly be broken.

"Xiao-lang." His mother's voice sharpened again, and Syaoran flinched.  "Hogwarts School is a much more prestigious school of magic than Hong Kong Academy, and has more to teach you.  You will be the first of Clow Reed's descendants to follow in his footsteps - the first of his descendants strong enough to be invited to his _alma mater."_

Oh.  So this was a good thing.  Syaoran had always halfway been under the impression that the Li Clan didn't really approve of Clow Reed – after all, Clow's father was not part of the Clan – but held a grudging respect for his magical skill.  To be Clow's direct descendant was thus both a blessing and a curse; Syaoran had far more magical capacity than the rest of the Li Clan, but always the Elders were watching, waiting for Syaoran to demonstrate some of the eccentricities of the great magician.  Syaoran had been determined to lay those suspicions to rest.

But then, why am I hesitating to take the Clow Cards from a little weak girl and falling in love with a boy?

His mother was speaking again.  "I want you to learn both English and Chinese magic, Xiao-lang.  You have the capacity for it.  Hogwarts will be an excellent experience for you."

"Yes, Mama."

"Then you will attend, Xiao-lang?"

As if there was a debate.  Even if Syaoran had not wished to attend the School, he would end up doing so.  There was still a good four years before he was eligible to become the Li Clan Master and able to determine his own path.  "Yes, Mama."

"Excellent.  I will send your reply immediately.  Expect to hear from the School within the next few days."  Click.

Syaoran blinked at the phone for a moment, digesting the conversation.  The next seven years of his life had been altered by a five-minute phone call.

*   *   *

                It was a perfectly average day for Kinomoto Sakura – well, as average as possible for an eleven-year-old girl who spent her weekends and evenings capturing magical tarot cards and lived with a stuffed animal who could breathe, talk, and eat.  It was only two weeks into the new semester – one which began in early August – and already Sakura was having a hard time with math.  She had never done well in the subject, but with the additional work of capturing the Clow Cards, her grades had taken something of a nosedive.

                Speaking of the cards, she found her mind wandering as she skated home from school - back to a few nights earlier when she and Li-kun had launched into battle against the Shadowy.  Absently she pulled the card from her backpack and looked at it.  It had been such a troublesome card . . . she reflected with remembered fear how Li-kun had bravely stepped in the way of the Shadow's attack and taken the blow on his arm for her.  She had bound the wound for him with her handkerchief, feeling that it was the least she could do for him after he had protected her.

I think that he's really very nice, she thought pleasantly, slipping the card back into her backpack.  Although Li-kun scowled a lot, he sometimes showed that he really was a good person.  He was just trying to act mean.  Satisfied with this conclusion, Sakura jogged up the stairs to her room.

"SA-KURAAAA!"

                "Hoeh!"  Sakura exclaimed as her eyesight was filled with Kero-chan's tiny stuffed-animal face.  "Kero-chan!"

                The animated plushy held up a letter the same size as him.  "Look what an owl dropped off for ya!"

                Sakura put down her backpack on her bed and accepted the letter from the Guardian Beast.  "An owl?" she asked curiously, examining the letter.  It wasn't in an envelope; instead, it appeared to be folded parchment.  The only words printed on the outside were gold-embossed and written in romanticized Japanese: Sakura Kinomoto.

                "Yeah.  'S been a while since I'd seen one of them carrier owls,"  Kero-chan reflected, resting his chin in one paw and crossing the other paw over his chest.  "In fact . . ." he looked up.  "The last time was with Clow Reed, from some school."

                "Carrier owls?"  Sakura shrugged and opened the letter by gently breaking the wax seal.

Dear Sakura Kinomoto,

                It is my pleasure to invite you to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.  It is our understanding that you have great magical potential.  We would be honored to help you hone your magical skills.

                I hope to see you at the beginning of this school year.

Sincerely,

Professor Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

                "Hoeh?"  Sakura reread the letter, then read it a third time.  "What does this mean, Kero-chan?"

                The Guardian Beast had been reading the letter over her shoulder.  "Hogwarts School, eh?" he smirked, rubbing his chin again.  "That's where Clow Reed learned magic.  Didn't think that place would still be around!"

                "What is it, Kero-chan?"

                Kero-chan frowned a cute little frown and said, "Oh, where to begin . . . let's see.  Hogwarts is a school in England for people who've got the talent for magic.  You can only go if you're invited, and you've been invited.  That's a big honor, Sakura!"

                Sakura, however, had stopped listening at 'England'.  "All the way in England?" Sakura wailed.  "But – but Otou-san!  And Onii-chan!"

                Just then the telltale sound of footfalls on the steps sent Kero-chan diving for the covers and Sakura scrambling to hide the parchment.  Only moments later Kinomoto Fujitaka – Sakura's father – poked his head in the door.  He was beaming, as usual.  "Sakura."

                "Y-yes, Otou-san?" Sakura asked nervously.

                "I received an important piece of mail today.  I wanted to discuss it with you.  Join me in the family room?"

                "Oh."  Sakura relaxed a little.  It couldn't be bad news because her father was smiling.  "Okay!"  She stood and followed her father downstairs.

                Once they were seated on the couch, Sakura nestled in the crook of her father's arm (still her favorite place after all these years), her father picked up the letter in question.

                Hogwarts School, said the letterhead.

                Sakura gulped.

                "This letter says that you've been invited to attend a very important school in England," her father said pleasantly.  "It sounds like a wonderful place."

                Sakura blinked.  "Otou-san?"

                "You know," her father continued, smiling, "Touya got a letter from Hogwarts School when he was your age.  He chose not to attend, but you should feel welcome to do so."

                Sakura blinked again.  "O-Otou-san . . . do you know what Hogwarts School is for?"

                "Certainly.  It's for magical students."

                Sakura facefaulted.

                Fujitaka smiled down at her.  "I know that you and your brother have a special talent.  Your mother did, too.  This school sounds like it would be a good place for you to learn how to use your talent."

                Sakura felt the great weight of responsibility and secrecy lift from her shoulders, and she sighed in happiness.  "Thanks, Daddy.  I want to go, but it's so far away!"

                "You can visit during summer and Christmas break," her father answered, hugging her quickly.  "I think you'd like it there.  But I don't want to force you; go only if you want to."

                "Okay, Otou-san.  I'll go."

                Fujitaka smiled again, more gently this time.  "I'm very glad for you, Sakura."

                "Thank you, Daddy!"

*   *   *

                "So, I'm leaving for England on a plane on Wednesday," Sakura explained to Tomoyo as they walked to school together.  It was Sunday, but Sakura needed to deliver her transfer papers.  "It's really far away, but Otou-san says that I'll like it there, and Kero-chan is coming with me!  He says that I still have to capture the Clow Cards even though I'm moving."

                Tomoyo beamed at her friend.  "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time, Sakura-chan!"  Suddenly, though, her face fell.  "This means I won't be able to make dresses for you!  Or film you capturing cards!  Oh no, Sakura-chan!  I'll have to send you with outfits, and you must promise to wear them when you're capturing the cards!  And maybe I can get some sort of camera to film you . . ."

                Sakura sweatdropped.  "It's okay, Tomoyo-chan," she assured her friend.

                They walked on in amiable silence for a while, occasionally chatting about what Hogwarts might be like, until finally Sakura sighed and turned to face Tomoyo.  "Oh, Tomoyo-chan!  I'm really excited, but I'm going to miss you so much!"  She abruptly grabbed her friend in a bear hug, which Tomoyo returned.  "I'll write all the time and tell you everything about it.  I just wish you could come too!"

                Tomoyo gently patted her friend's back.  "I'll miss you too, Sakura-chan," she said quietly.  "I'll write too.  I'll tell you about Tomoeda and what lies Yamazaki has been telling and what we're learning.  It will be so lonely here without you."  She sighed sadly.

                Sakura pulled out of the embrace and smiled at her friend.  "Thank you, Tomoyo-chan.  You are my very best friend!"

                Tomoyo smiled back, shutting her large violet eyes.  "I love you, Sakura-chan."

                "I love you too, Tomoyo-chan!"

                "Of course you do, Sakura-chan."  Just not the way I'd like you to.  "Let's hurry and deliver your papers, okay?"

                "Okay!"

*   *   *

                As it turned out, one more card decided to make an appearance on Monday morning – the Mirror Card.  After wreaking havoc while having the appearance of Sakura, it lured Sakura's brother into the woods and over a cliff, injuring his leg.  Only Syaoran's Compass and a fortune telling enabled Sakura to find and capture the card.  That night, back at the house, Sakura acted on her guilty streak and pampered her brother mercilessly, but it didn't matter.  He still called her a monster, glared at Kero-chan as if suspicious that he was more than just a stuffed animal (Sakura hadn't told her brother and father about Kero-chan or the cards.  She doubted if her father would let her wander around late at night capturing cards even if he did know she had magical talent.), and generally acted Touya-ish.

                However, the incident wiped away any doubts Sakura had about leaving for Hogwarts.  Kero-chan said that the cards would haunt wherever she went.  If she stayed here, it might hurt someone else close to her.  At least at Hogwarts everyone knew magic and could defend themselves.

                So it was that on Wednesday morning Sakura found herself at the airport hugging her father and best friend goodbye, kicking her brother in his good shin before getting her hair ruffled by said brother, and blushing furiously as Yukito handed her a moon charm.  "For good luck," he said, smiling as he gently hugged Sakura.

                "I'll miss all of you so much!" she exclaimed sadly as she picked up her two carry-on bags.

                "Don't worry, Sakura-chan.  We'll write and see you at Christmas, okay?"  Tomoyo smiled warmly.

                "Okay!"  Sakura gave a wobbly smile, then turned to go.  "Goodbye!" she called.

                "Bye!" chorused her send-off group, as Sakura disappeared around the corner and into the plane.

                The stewardesses were very kind and helped Sakura find her seat.  "You're right next to a boy about your age!" one of them remarked happily.  "Maybe you can get to know each other."

Moments later, she was at her seat.

                Facing Li Syaoran.

                "Hoeh!" she cried in surprise.

Syaoran, who had been absorbed in a book, jumped and looked up at her.  He blinked owlishly.  "You!?" he exclaimed suspiciously.  "Where are you going?"

"Oh, so you know each other?  That's just wonderful," smiled the stewardess, turning away obliviously.

Sakura climbed awkwardly into her seat, very aware of the Chinese boy's sharp eyes watching her every move.  "Um, I got this invitation," she explained, pulling the parchment from her backpack.  "I'm supposed to go to Hogwarts School."

Syaoran stared at the paper in her hands, sighed resignedly, and fell back in his seat, muttering something in Chinese.

"What about you, Li-kun?"  Sakura looked at the sulking boy curiously.

Syaoran jumped guiltily, then held out his own piece of parchment.  "Same place as you," he said glumly.

"Oh good!  I won't be totally alone!" Sakura sighed with relief.  "I was sort of worried since I don't know very much English."

Syaoran looked at her, tilting his head a little.  "You're going to England and you don't even know much English?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, Daddy said a friend of his was going to meet me at the airport – his name is Professor Flitwick – but I only saw one fuzzy picture of him, and I was afraid that if I didn't find him, I was going to have to find my baggage all by myself, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to read the signs that say 'Baggage', she explained at a rapid pace.

"If you don't find him right away, just stay with me," Syaoran offered, then blinked as if surprised by what he had just said and leaned back in his seat.

Sakura smiled.  "Thank you, Li-kun!"

"Sure," Syaoran muttered, opening his book again.

*   *   *

Note regarding translation: This early in the manga, Sakura does not consider herself to be very familiar with Syaoran, and so calls him by his last name as it customary among acquaintances in Japan.  The suffix '-kun' is a polite way to refer to a boy.  Syaoran never calls Sakura anything other than 'Omae' ('You') until the sixth manga when she falls down the crevice – I will try to stick with this policy.

When Syaoran talks to his mother in Chinese, I prefer to use the Chinese terms; thus, "Syaoran" becomes "Xiao-lang", the more common English Romanization of his Chinese name, and "Mother" becomes "Mama" – a name for a mom that, in China, holds no more warmth than a formal title.

Other Japanese words:

Ofuda – those slips of paper Syaoran uses for his magic.

Onii-chan – older brother; an endearment

Otou-chan – father; an endearment

'-chan' – an endearing suffix, usually used to refer to small children or someone very close, such as a lover.  Sakura uses this all the time because she's impossibly cute.

'Hoeh!' (Hoe!) – the nonsense word Sakura uses when she's surprised.

Usual notes: I've decided that Fujitaka can't really be that oblivious to his daughter's activities or magical skill, and Touya, who is also highly magical, would surely have been offered (in this Harry Potter-crossed world) a place at Hogwarts as well.  It's too pat and convenient, I know.  It's the weakest part of this, in my opinion.

Please read and review – thanks for your support! :)

~~Vikki


	2. Travels in Diagon Alley

And now, the second chapter, also revised.  Please enjoy.

**Chapter 1 – Travels in Diagon Alley**

                Towards the end of the trip Syaoran exchanged his Chinese novel for an English one, as he intended to use it as a refresher course in the language.  He found that English was as much of a struggle to read as it always had been.  Groaning, he slogged through one chapter of the book and gave up.  Whoever had made up the rules of that abominable language was either sadistic or drunk.

                A feminine voice came over the intercom of the plane.  "Thank you for choosing Japan Airlines for you travel needs.  We will be entering a terminal at London International Airport in approximately ten minutes.  Please collect all loose articles and carry-on luggage, as we will not be responsible for anything left on the plane."

                Sitting up and yawning, he tapped the Card Mistress on the shoulder.  The sleeping girl yawned and blinked blankly at him.  "Hey, you," Syaoran said quietly.  "We're in London."

                "Hoeh?" she lifted her eyebrows in confusion, then remembered and nodded.  "Oh.  Okay."  She sat up and unzipped her backpack to put her several manga back inside.

                Much to Syaoran's surprise, the Stuffed Animal poked its head out.  "Sakura?" it asked sleepily.  "Are we there yet?"

                "Shhh, Kero-chan!" Sakura shushed it.  "Yes, we're almost there.  You'll have to stay in my backpack for a little longer."

                "Okay," agreed the Plushy sleepily.  It yawned and laid its head back down while Sakura gently pressed her manga in next to him.

                "You brought along the Guardian Beast?"  Syaoran asked Sakura as she zipped the backpack closed.

                "Well, I had to.  Because I have to catch the Clow Cards, and Kero-chan helps me a lot, and it's his job to protect me," she explained.

                A lot of protecting that stupid Plushy can do, Syaoran thought fiercely.  I'll end up being the one who makes sure she doesn't get killed – wait.  Why am I trying to protect her!?  "You just can't capture the cards without help," Syaoran said to cover his thoughts.  "Weakling."

                The Card Mistress gave him a hurt look.

                Any further conversation was halted by the announcement that the plane had connected to a terminal and that Japan Airlines was very thankful they had all chosen to fly on their planes instead of someone else's.  Sakura stood, threw her backpack over her shoulder, and lifted a small handbag.  Syaoran picked up his own sports bag and followed Sakura into the line off the plane.

                Just inside the terminal the airport was buzzing with activity.  Announcements were being made in seven different languages, people were greeting loved ones, and everyone was going somewhere else.  Syaoran looked around, feeling small (which wasn't unusual) and intimidated (which was more uncommon).  It was almost like the first time he'd arrived in Japan, unsure of what to do or where to go.  Automatically he sought comfort in magic, extending his aura for a friendly return – and found one in Sakura, who was just behind him.  "I don't see anyone like the picture," she said quietly.

                "Stay with me, then," Syaoran answered.  "We're going to the same place, right?"

                "Uh-huh."

                "Good.  Come on."  He nodded towards a sign.  "Do you see the words?"

                Sakura slowly looked up at the sign.  "Oh!  It has Japanese!" she exclaimed.

                "So we're going that way."  Syaoran led her towards the baggage claim area.

                After standing in front of the rotating conveyor belt for about ten minutes, their baggage finally came trundling by.  As they were pulling their bags from the belt, Syaoran was surprised to hear an accented voice exclaim in Japanese, "You must be Miss Sakura!  What a delight to finally meet you after hearing so much from your father."

                Syaoran turned to see an old, very tiny man dressed rather . . . oddly . . . in hiking boots, overly long baggy pants, a bow tie with a button-down shirt, and a polo jacket.  Magical aura sprang from him like a deluge, and if his clothes were any indication, he had no contact with normal people.  His mother had said that magicians in England rarely had much to do with non-magical people, whom they called Muggles, but Syaoran had never quite believed that they could be this isolated – until now.

                "Professor Flitwick?" Sakura asked hesitantly.  The old man nodded.  "Yay!  You found us!"  Sakura beamed at the man, bowing swiftly.

                "'Us'?" Professor Flitwick inquired politely.

                "Yes.  This is Li Syaoran-kun," Sakura indicated Syaoran, who bowed respectfully.  "He's attending Hogwarts School too.  Isn't that wonderful?"

                The professor adjusted horn-rimmed glasses on his nose.  "Yes, dear.  Are you meeting anyone here?" he asked Syaoran.

                "No," Syaoran shrugged, recalling his mother's complete confidence that Syaoran would be able to find Diagon Alley and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on his own.  Syaoran hadn't been so sure – the tracing of magical auras could only get you so far – but had decided not to risk his mother's anger.

                "Then come with us, Mister Li,"  Professor Flitwick directed.  "It's time for the two of you to purchase your supplies."

*   *   *

                Diagon Alley was a wild, wonderful place that left both Sakura and Syaoran gaping at everything.  The first stop was made at Gringotts Bank.  Sakura, of course, had no vault, as her family had nothing to do with the currency of magicians, but Syaoran's mother – always planning ahead, Syaoran had practically grumbled – had transferred a portion of the Li Hong Kong fortune to a vault at the English bank.  Syaoran had filled a bag with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, then – much to Sakura's mortification – filled another bag and gave it to her.

                "Look, you have to take it because you don't have any money!"  Syaoran had snapped impatiently when Sakura had politely refused.  "If you don't I'll end up buying all your supplies anyway –" an idea which brought a smile to Professor Flitwick's face, but didn't amuse Syaoran in the least.  In the end Syaoran had only 'convinced' Sakura to take the money because he had assured her she could pay him back someday.

"Honestly, Mama will never know it's gone," Syaoran had muttered to himself in Chinese as they boarded the Gringotts cart again.  "And **I don't care if I part with the money …"**

Flitwick had departed their company after they left Gringotts, remembering that he had an appointment in Hogsmeade the day before the term started ("Dear me, but the staff meetings do seem rather invasive of our time"), leaving Syaoran and Sakura do fend for themselves.  This in no way perturbed Syaoran, who had, after all, lived in the most ordinary sort of way all alone in a foreign country for over a month.  Sakura was a little less sure of herself, but Syaoran told her confidently that getting a room in the Leaky Cauldron for a night or two shouldn't be a problem.  Meanwhile, the next stop had been for potions, the next for textbooks, and another for cauldrons.  But Syaoran came to a screeching halt in front of the Quidditch supplies store, eyes riveted to the display.

"What is it, Li-kun?" Sakura asked, wide green eyes full of curiosity.

"The Nimbus 2000," Syaoran sighed, not really thinking about how silly he must have looked to Sakura.  If there was anything Syaoran had missed about home when he had been sent to Tomoeda, it had been broomsticks and Quidditch.  Hong Kong had sported its own separate team since the return of the Chinese to power, and Syaoran followed their career closely.  "Hahaue won't buy me one …"

Sakura, of course, was staring over Syaoran's shoulder at said racing broom.  "What is it?" she asked again, obviously not comprehending his original reply.

Syaoran bit his tongue and reminded himself that an at least semi-non-magical family had raised Sakura, than began to explain Quidditch in detail until they reached –

Ollivander's.

Syaoran smacked his forehead against the heel of his hand.  "I almost forgot …"

Sakura giggled eagerly as soon as she managed to read the word 'Wands' and bounced into the shop, leaving Syaoran to follow more reluctantly.  This was the part he had been dreading to some degree.  As far as he could determine, wands were a version of his own ofuda – a focus point for the user's magic, nothing more.  He wasn't particularly eager for one.

The owner of the shop – no doubt Ollivander himself – stood somewhat hunched in front of Sakura when Syaoran came in, bending over her bewildered face as his tape measure measured Sakura all by itself, and muttering, "Yes … I see…"

Sakura turned to beam at Syaoran.  "Getting a wand seems like a lot of fun!" she grinned even as the measuring tape dropped lifeless to the ground at a word from Ollivander.  "I wish Kero-chan was here to see this…" They had left him sleeping in their rooms at the Leaky Cauldron.  Privately Syaoran wondered how Sakura had gotten the Plushy to sleep for so long.  Perhaps she had planted a sedative in his sweets…?  No, it was too devious for Sakura.  Maybe he just overstuffed himself.

Ollivander ignored this banter (He probably couldn't understand it, anyway, Syaoran thought) in favor of perusing his shelves.  "You're a most unusual girl," He observed in English.  Sakura immediately assumed a look of severe concentration, obviously struggling with her small English vocabulary to understand every word.  Syaoran had to do some serious concentrating himself.  "Yes, quite unusual.  But then, your language sounds Asian – you're speaking Japanese?"

Sakura's eyes lit up on the last word.  "Yes!  I say Japanese!" she said in accented English.

"Well, once I find the right wand for you, you'll be speaking and understanding far more languages, I assure you.  Ah, this one, perhaps."  He pulled a box off the shelf and handed the wand to Sakura.  "Ten inches, oak, rigid.  Phoenix feather core."

Sakura took the wand reverently and held it very still.  Ollivander shook his head.  "Wave it, dear," he directed.

Sakura did not comprehend this word, and Syaoran quickly intervened.  "Wave it around, You."

"Oh!  I'm sorry," she apologized, waving the wand.  Nothing happened.

"No, no, no, I should have seen that wouldn't work from the start," Ollivander cried, snatching the wand from Sakura's startled hands.  He offered her another one.  "Try this – eight inches, reed, whippy, dragon scale core."  Again, nothing happened.  "No?  How about this one?"

This continued for several minutes, with Sakura looking more and more depressed.  Ollivander caught onto this after a moment or two.  "Oh dear, child, you mustn't get discouraged!  Everyone is chosen by a wand!  If I could only find the right one…"

Syaoran translated this sentence as Ollivander disappeared again in search of the perfect wand.  He couldn't help feeling a little bit relieved – and maybe just a touch pleased – that the Card Mistress' face lost its dismal expression at his words.

I have really got to pull myself together.  She's just a weak girl!

Abruptly Ollivander appeared again.  "Here it is, here it is!  I'm certain this is what we're looking for.  Unicorn hair, nine inches, yew, quite whippy."  He placed the described wand in her hands.

Almost before Sakura could wave it, a bouquet of flowers sprouted out of the end of the wand to shower Ollivander's hands.  Ollivander beamed from ear to ear, which looked somewhat funny on his antiquated face.  "Excellent!  I knew it!"

Sakura beamed and exclaimed to Syaoran, "Isn't that amazing?  I think wands are awfully neat."

Syaoran tried his best to look surly, but such an obvious display of raw magic, so rare even in Hong Kong (which was overpopulated with ghosts and the like) was enough to intrigue the young sorcerer.

                A few minutes later the transaction had been completed (Sakura, who had grasped the concept of the wizard money system quite quickly for someone who had little skill in math, delighted in completing the purchase entirely on her own), and it was Syaoran's turn.  Sakura told Syaoran she'd be at the treats store across the street, and walked out.

                "Now don't be shy, the measuring tape won't hurt you, and neither will the wands," Ollivander said in a slightly sinister tone.

                Syaoran put on his best fierce face, which wasn't all that fierce simply because he was still only 11.  He spoke in English with great care, although it was becoming somewhat easier to remember now that he was immersed in it.  "I am not scared of them.  I already know enough magic to turn you upside down."

                Ollivander raised his eyebrows at Syaoran as the measuring tape set to work.  "Do you now?  That's quite impressive.  Why are you going to Hogwarts, then?"

                "It is Easter mysti-… mysticism," Syaoran said, feeling a little embarrassed by his rude outburst under Ollivander's intense gaze.  "I am learning Western magic here."

                "And that, of course, explains that delightful Chinese accent," Ollivander said without the slightest trace of sarcasm.  "I wish you the best of luck in your studies, of course.  That's enough, now."  The measuring tape dropped to the ground, and Ollivander turned to the shelves.  "Are you and that dear girl related?  Or perhaps are you simply friends?"

                "We come from the same part of the globe," Syaoran said flatly.  "That is all."

                "You seem to be quite close."

                "That is a misconception.  I am her translator, for now."

                "Ah.  Well, I think that's a shame."  Ollivander pulled down a wand.  "But who am I to meddle in your affairs, really?  Here, dear boy, try this one.  Ten inches, maple, stiff, griffin's feather."

                Syaoran waved the wand once.  Nothing happened.  Ollivander snatched it away.  "Oh dear, not it at all, not at all.  Where did I put those … ah, yes!" He scurried off and returned with another wand.  The same result.

                This continued several times over.  However, Syaoran found that if he concentrated very hard, he could sense the aura of the magical core of the wand.  And he could feel a very low affinity with each…

                Ollivander placed a wand in his hand again, saying, "Twelve inches, weeping willow, bendy".  Instantly Syaoran could feel the interlocking of the inner core with his aura.  "This one is the right one," he said even as he lifted the wand, causing the wand to shoot out magnificent red sparks.

                "Yes, yes!  I was right again!" Ollivander laughed as he took back the wand to place it in its box.  "I really should listen to my first instincts, you know, they're very rarely wrong."

                Syaoran shrugged off this information.  "What is the core?"

                "Oh, of course."  Ollivander handed the wrapped wand to Syaoran.  "It's actually a hair off the same unicorn as your friend's wand's core."  He smiled.  "However, I did try something new with that one.  There are also a few hairs of a werewolf in that wand.  They are, after all, magical creatures, but they're rarely appreciated as such.  It's a crying shame, you know.  But I believe that the werewolf hairs add fierceness to the wand, which is why is matches so well with you."  He smiled and handed Syaoran a receipt.   "That is the price.  Good luck in your ventures, dear boy!"

                Syaoran politely thanked him, paid him, and followed Sakura across the street, lost in thought.  The same core as the Card Mistress' wand … does it mean something?  And if so, what?

                He could hardly believe it, but he was suppressing a blush at the thought.

*   *   *

Author's Notes:  Obviously this fic focuses on Syaoran and Sakura rather than Harry and company.  I like Syaoran.  So shoot me.  :)

Someone wisely pointed out to me that Syaoran, coming from Hong Kong, would probably be as fluent in English as he is in Japanese.  Many thanks to her; she brought this project back to life.

Review, please.  Thank you—

~~Vikki


	3. Train Rides and Trinkets

**Chapter 2 – Train Rides and Trinkets**

                Sakura stared around the huge train station – King's Cross – with wide eyes, obviously impressed by the size and hustle, and clutching her Hogwarts Express ticket tightly in her hand.  Syaoran crossed his arms and kept one eye on Sakura while examining the building critically with the other.  You'd think she'd never been in Tokyo Station before, he thought crossly.  She's practically star-struck.

                Syaoran was not impressed by the large building.  On the contrary, he was keeping his eyes wide open for magical auras and spells – anything and anyone that might give him a clue as to how to get to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters by eleven o'clock.  Because there was one thing he had ascertained: there **was** no Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters – not a visible one, anyway – which meant it was hidden, and the spell to board it cleverly disguised.

                Syaoran had been amazed over the past several days by the length to which the English wizards were willing to go to prevent their magical world from being revealed.  According to Professor Flitwick, this was to avoid getting tangled up in and trying to solve Muggle problems with magical solutions.  Syaoran found he had to adjust to such a culture.  Certainly, 'magic' – raw, undefined, and powerful magic – was not acknowledged anywhere in the modern, visible world.  Syaoran was aware it existed, just as any sorcerer in a magical family might be.  In fact, he was quite good with it (his mother said it was a reflection of his fierce nature), and he commanded the elements through his ofuda often in his quest for the Clow Cards, but this was carefully hidden.  However, in Hong Kong (and even to a certain extent in Japan), magic was acknowledged to exist in the everyday world through such things as poltergeists, kekkai, and shikigami – mostly the arts of the onmyouji, which Syaoran was semi-rehearsed in.  Here in England, no one really believed in anything even semi-magical, except perhaps ghosts.

                And surely if I asked that serviceman over there about Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, he'd tell me to go find someone else to harass,  Syaoran thought wryly.

                "Li-kun, have you found the platform?" Sakura asked nervously.

                Syaoran shook his head and checked his watch.  It was ten-fifty.  Surely some young wizard would come by here soon, unless everyone was already on the platform.  After all, they were waiting calmly with all their bags directly between Platforms Nine and Ten.  No one could pass here without Syaoran knowing it, and besides, sorcerers here didn't know how to hide their aura.  He **should** have sensed them coming from a mile away.

                "Are we going to miss the train?" Sakura asked, cocking her head.

                "Of course not."  Syaoran snorted.  "The platform has to be here somewhere, and even you should be able to sense someone with magic coming –" he cut off.

                Because there was definitely magical aura coming towards them, and a lot of it.  More than one person, Syaoran decided.  "See, here come some wizards now," Syaoran pointed.

                Sakura craned her neck to see, and sure enough, moments later a family of redheads with numerous freckles appeared.  There was a mother, plump but kind-faced, who was speaking rapidly to a girl a few years older than either Syaoran or Sakura.  Two tall redheads who were obviously nearing adulthood (and looked exactly alike) followed directly behind them.  After that pair of grinning twins, came a boy who was younger than the twins, but older than the girl with the mother, and he was chatting amiably with a girl who had long, bushy hair and a boy who was –

                Was –

                Syaoran's jaw dropped.  That's Harry Potter!

                Sure enough, just visible under the thick, unruly black bangs was the hint of the famous lightning scar.  He wore coke-bottle-rimmed glasses over large green eyes, and was sort of thin, if tall, in his oversized street clothes.

                Syaoran snapped his jaw shut and swore up and down that he would not embarrass himself.  He grabbed Sakura's arm.  "Come on, they're who we want to follow," he said, pushing her to follow the train of wizards.

                And soon, they were facing a brick wall between the platforms.

                "We'll go first, Mum," said one of the twins.  "Kind of squeezing the time today, aren't we?"

                "Don't harp on it, just hurry," said the mother, wringing her hands but smiling pleasantly.  "We don't need to be where Harry can be found by You-Know-Who any longer than necessary.  You'll make the train all right, if you just go!"

                "All right, Mum, keep your shirt on, we're going," laughed the other twin.  Then they took the carts they were pushing – and ran through the wall.

                Syaoran blinked.

                Next to him, Sakura exclaimed, "Suge~!"

                At that moment, the mother seemed to finally notice them.  "Oh, my!  Are you two new?" she asked in her pleasant, friendly voice.

                Syaoran nodded.  "We are.  Is that wall the path to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters?" he pointed.

                "It is.  What an accent you've got!  Is it – oh, never mind, we don't have the time, do we?  Ginny, go on."

                The girl sighed.  "If Fred or George take my books because you're no there, can I bewitch them?"

                "No, of course not! Now go, go!" she shooed her off, and Ginny shot through the brick wall as easily as the twins.

                "How do you do that?" Sakura asked of Syaoran in Japanese.  Syaoran posed the question to the mother.

                "Why, just run at the barrier, and believe that you really will go through it.  Don't be frightened of the wall – it won't hit you unless you are."  She smiled at Syaoran and Sakura, saying, "Go on, Ron, dear, and Harry and Hermione, too.  I'll take these two through."

                Ron shrugged, said, "Okay, Mum," and walked through the barrier.  Syaoran watched in amazed silence as the girl, Hermione, and Harry Potter followed just as easily, before translating for Sakura what the mother had said.

                "All right, now.  Just run right through the barrier.  Running is probably best the first time," she pushed Syaoran forward.

                Syaoran looked back at Sakura, automatically asking, "Did you want to go first?"

                Sakura looked a little sheepish.  "Actually … can we go together, at the same time?"

                Syaoran shrugged his indifference, gave her the woman's last instructions in Japanese, then counted down – "Three, two, one, go!" and they plowed forward.  Syaoran closed his eyes for an instant as they neared the wall.  It's just a selective illusion, project your aura, if it knows what you are it will let you through –

                And when he opened his eyes, he was standing on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters.

He barely noticed when the mother of the redheaded family came onto the platform behind them, patting them on the head and remarking that they'd done a spectacular job on their first try. Sakura was obviously aware that it was a compliment and thanked her in 'Engrish', saying 'Sankyuu' almost absently.

Syaoran ignored the exchange in favor of being amazed by the sheer amount of magical aura (almost everyone was magical), the dress sense (awful – worse than the Japanese, even, in Syaoran's opinion), and the Hogwarts Express itself, which was absolutely magnificent. Syaoran had been around many old, magnificent things in his short lifetime, and still he was impressed by the nineteenth-century train. The smells told him there were a lot of animals – specifically owls – and that there was good food to be had, too. His stomach growled.

Sakura was equally amazed, drinking the whole atmosphere in with wide eyes. "Li-kun!" she said. "Have you ever seen so many sorcerers in one place?"

"Yes," Syaoran admitted, "but never so many Western wizards." It was incredible.

By reading signs Syaoran guided Sakura to a train car and a seat inside, and a bell boy aided them with packing away their baggage. Sakura hung onto one bag, which Syaoran suspected contained the Guardian Beast. The Plushy had been extraordinarily annoying, in Syaoran's opinion, over the past several days, insisting on trying every sweet available when he was around. Besides, he attracted a shocking amount of attention for a society of people in which magic was an everyday thing. Everywhere they had gone in Diagon Alley, people marveled at the 'flying stuffed toy', asking what sort of magic enabled him to use his wings in such a realistic fashion, and being surprised when the Plushy answered their questions in perfect, if accented, English.

"Clow Reed was a genius. Creating me was nothing for him," he told Syaoran, waving a spoon at him, when the Chinese boy got annoyed enough to demand explanations. "I'm basically a shikigami with flesh. Wait'll you see my real form, Sakura, I'm incredible!"

Sakura gave him a skeptical look, as per usual, and confided to Syaoran, "I think a big Kero-chan would be kind of scary." Syaoran eyed the Plushy, who had returned to stuffing his face, and was forced to agree.

But for now he was ensconced in the bag, perhaps sleeping, and Syaoran was able to put up with him that way.

Syaoran and Sakura sat across from each other in the box seat they had selected, silent for the moment, while Sakura looked out the window and Syaoran watched her. She was smiling and waving at someone. //Perhaps it's a little child who was simply waving at the train,// Syaoran thought, //and the Card Mistress is nice enough to wave back.// It wouldn't be surprising.

He suddenly realized that his hand was in his pocket, wrapped tightly around the handkerchief that the auburn-haired girl had given him when they fought the Shadowy.

He looked away, blushing, and furiously forced his thoughts to Yukito, which only made him blush more, until finally he was just trying not to blush. He was in this state when the train began to move and the door to the room opened. Syaoran jerked up his head; Sakura did the same.

And they found themselves staring at Harry Potter.

His two friends – the redhead Ron and the girl Hermione – were with him. "Oh, um …" Harry Potter looked uncomfortable. "Sorry to bother you, we'll go sit someplace else today."

He began to close the door, and Syaoran registered protest from Ron along the lines of 'But we've sat in there before! Don't we have a right to it?', before Syaoran managed, "No, don't go, we will, it's –"

He cut off. He had Mr. Potter's attention, but it wasn't because of comprehension. Syaoran had broken into Chinese. Blushing, Syaoran corrected himself. "No, this is your usual seat. We will go –"

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Hermione broke in, looking exasperated. "You're all being stupid. Why don't we all just sit in here together? There's plenty of room." She pushed past Harry Potter and sat by Sakura with a haughty air.

Harry Potter looked at Ron, who wrinkled his nose questioningly, shrugged, and sat down as well. Right next to Syaoran. Ron took a seat by Harry.

Syaoran forced himself to relax. He'd never expected to meet the Boy Who Lived, the one who had saved the entirety of the European magical world from the terror presented by You-Know-Who.  Supposedly, it was an accident; Syaoran's mother spoke with respect for the magic responsible nonetheless.  And as surprising and fascinating as it was, it was no reason to gawk.  It wouldn't be polite at all to gape at him and ask if he could see the lightning-shaped scar or ask if he was all right after all of the adventures he had suffered over the past three years.

Then Harry Potter smiled down at Syaoran. "Well, it's nice to meet you. My name's Harry Potter, and this is Ron Weasley –" he indicated Ron, who waved, "and that's Hermione Granger." He pointed to the girl, who smiled and waved too, as if to a little kid (which he was, Syaoran reflected). "And before you ask, yes, you can see the scar." There was just the smallest trace of annoyance and weariness in Harry's voice. He pressed his hand to his forehead to brush back his bangs with his hand, showing the small scar.

Syaoran blinked; it was small, almost unnoticeable. He looked away.  "Um … thank you," he said hesitantly. "My name is Syaoran Li." He abruptly remembered Sakura and pointed to her. "This is Sakura Kinomoto." Sakura, hearing her name, waved. "She does not speak much English, and mine is weak. If I make any mistakes, I apologize," he said.

"Where are you from?" Hermione wanted to know.

"I am from Hong Kong. She is from Japan."

"Well, you speak wonderful English," she told Syaoran pleasantly.

Syaoran thanked her, but his gaze drifted over to the Card Mistress, who was looking more and more lost.  He poked her.  "Hey, you."

Sakura blinked at him.  "L-Li-kun, I don't understand," she said, her voice an apology.  "I thought that I could do it, but I don't know any English – how am I supposed to understand—"

Syaoran shook his head sharply.  "Stop it," he commanded softly.  "Maybe Western magic can help, or the Plushy – it seems to know plenty of English.  And in the meantime, I'll— …" he trailed off, kicking himself. "I'll help you out, okay?"

Sakura looked at him wide-eyed, then smiled that blindingly bright smile she had.  "Thank you, Li-kun!"

Syaoran's face flamed; fortunately, a discreet cough called their attention back to the three others in the compartment.

"So, you're first year students?" Harry asked, including Sakura and Syaoran in his gaze. Syaoran nodded mutely. Sakura clearly didn't comprehend the question, but was politely nodding anyway; Syaoran explained softly, "Ichinen yo?", and her face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. Harry gave them another smile. "It's not so bad, really. Don't let any of it intimidate you. Hogwarts is the most incredible school in the world! And the headmaster, Dumbledore, he's something else!"

Syaoran thought this last statement might be a figure of speech, but he wanted to be clear. "What is Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Harry blinked. Hermione looked as if she was suppressing laughter, but Ron let it out. "Ha ha ha! He's a man, just like any other, 'cept he's the only wizard You-Know-Who is afraid of. Saying somebody is 'something else' is just a figure of speech."

As Syaoran has suspected. "See? My English is weak. I am sorry."

"That's nothing to apologize for," Hermione said pleasantly. She indicated Sakura with a slight nod and asked, "Don't you know of any spell that could help her understand us, or something?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Eastern mysticism is not used for such things.  Wait a moment, please—" he turned to Sakura and translated.  Absently he wondered how people made a career out of repeating what other people said, just in a different language.  It was tiresome.

"Who is You-Know-Who?" Sakura asked him.

Syaoran shook his  head.  "I'll explain later."

Meanwhile Ron had leaned over to look at him. "You mean to say you know some magic already?"

"I do, but not Western magic."

Ron looked impressed regardless. "Can you show us?"

But Hermione was interested for another reason; she looked at Syaoran with awed curiosity. "You're tri-lingual, aren't you?"

Syaoran felt illogically proud of himself. "I know four languages – but not well enough."  His Korean was almost a joke, after all, and his English … he spoke it all right, he decided, but reading it was still a nightmare.  And he still hated Japanese.

Nonetheless, Hermione was very impressed, as were Harry and Ron.  "And you're only 11?"

"Mother pushes me hard," he said softly.  He glanced at Sakura, who had assumed a look of intense concentration again, and sighed.  "You want to see Eastern magic?"

"Do I?" Ron asked eagerly. "Sure, go ahead."

Syaoran nodded, but first he finally caught Sakura's attention and translated for her again – only to get the same reaction that Hermione had given for his lingual skills.  "Li-kun!  That's amazing!"  She smiled at him.  "I'm learning so many new things about Li-kun here.  You know a lot."

Syaoran looked away.  "Well … just watch, okay?"

He took an ofuda from the inner pocket of his shirt and held it up. "This is …" he trailed off, searching for a word.  "A magic paper.  It has words of Power on it.  Like a wand, it acts as a focus point for magic." He closed his eyes and concentrated on the piece of paper in his fingers. "Ka-shin!" he exclaimed, and the ofuda caught fire.

Everyone else in the box car gasped, and Syaoran, who now had to treat the fire he had set as he would any flame, placed it under his shoe and tamped it out. "That is Eastern magic," he said, then told Sakura the same thing in Japanese.

There was a general consensus that the skill was amazing and Syaoran was feeling for the first time in his life that his magic had a use other than the practical ones, when the door opened again to admit a young man about the same height and age as Harry and his two burly cronies. The boy had pale blond hair and a sneer on his otherwise handsome, pale face. "Well, Potter, can't get any friends, so you're socializing with first-years, Mudbloods, and the poor?" He sneered at Ron and Hermione.

Harry shot to his feet along with his friends. Ron looked as if he was seriously considering tearing the boy apart. "Like you have any right to talk, Malfoy! You're so friendless you have to have Crabbe and Goyle!" Harry snarled. The boys with the intruder seemed to be vaguely aware they had been insulted, but they did nothing.

The boy narrowed his eyes. "You won't survive the year, Potter, with the Dark Lord returned to life! I'm surprised you made it through the summer."

"At the rate you're going, you won't make it out that door without a black eye," Harry told him coldly. "Don't you have anything better to do – like throw yourself out a third-story window?"

"You'll pay for that hex you put on me last year," Malfoy warned Harry. "Watch your back." With that, he swept out the door.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat back down. Harry was visibly steaming. "That Malfoy! I hope Voldemort feeds him to vultures or something."

"It's all right, Harry," Hermione soothed. "He can't really hurt you. You're the better wizard."

"I hope," Harry said darkly.

Sakura finally asked, "What happened?"

Syaoran translated the conversation rapidly, then asked, "Who is Malfoy?"

"Draco Malfoy is an aggravating twit," Ron snorted.

Harry shook his head. "Malfoy can't really do anything as long as we're just flinging insults. Even a hex isn't really enough to get anyone in real trouble. He'd have to get me expelled from Hogwarts, and I don't think that I can be anymore." He said this gravely, and Syaoran was very much aware that he was unable to be expelled only because Hogwarts was probably the only safe haven for Harry, if this Dumbledore headmaster was the only man Lord Voldemort feared.

That was when the treats wagon came by, and Syaoran selected treats for himself and Sakura, translating all the amiable conversation that followed.

* * *

Suge – a shortened, altered form of 'sugoi', meaning 'Amazing!' or 'Wow!'

Ka-shin! – the phrase Syaoran uses to light an ofuda on fire in manga 4.

Author's Notes: It's hard to integrate Sakura in when she doesn't understand anything.  Kero-chan will help out in the future.  ^^;;  Please remember also that this is year four for Potter and company – Voldemort isn't alive yet.

~~Vikki


	4. Destiny Lies in a Ratty Old Hat

**Chapter 3 – Destiny Lies in a Ratty Old Hat**

                "FORWARD!!"

                Syaoran grabbed the edges of the rowboat as it jerked forward, traveling under the power of some sort of spell activated by the booming voice of Hagrid, the giant now leading the way to the breathtaking towers of Hogwarts.  He was loathe to admit it, but it really was a breathtaking sight; the spires of the ancient castle rose into the darkening sky, speckled with pinpoints of light – windows.  It was every bit as beautiful as Hong Kong on a festival night, when candles lit the river and Chinese lanterns lined every street.

                "Amazing …" whispered Sakura, sitting just behind Syaoran on the boat.  Harry Potter and his friends were still on the train, because they were fifth years, so Syaoran didn't even bother to look for them.  He just nodded, unsure what to say.

                "That hardly does this place justice!"

                Syaoran suppressed a groan.  Sakura and he were speechless; the Plushy, on the other hand, would not shut up, now that he was finally awake.  He'd awoken when the train stopped at the lake to let off the first year students, and ever since that moment, he'd babbled on and on about various subjects, but mostly Hogwarts and Clow Reed.

                "Clow Reed talked about his school all the time," said Cerebus authoritatively.  "He took me here.  It's gorgeous!  Amazing!  You've never seen so much magic in one place – not even you, kid."  The Plushy elbowed Syaoran fiercely, grinning.  "And the food!  These little house-elf things cook there, and they are the best!  Chocolate … roast chicken … sweets … mashed potatoes … cake …"

                Syaoran rolled his eyes and stopped listening at that point, thoughts drifting.  Certainly, Hogwarts was amazing … but there were a few problems at hand.  Such as the Clow Cards, which were a huge variant factor.  And Sakura's language barrier … Wait.  I'm worrying about her again … And when did I start thinking about the Card Mistress as 'Sakura', anyway?  … I guess I just feel responsible for her because she's so helpless.  Weak girl.

                "… And he'd talk to the professors for hours.  They wanted him to teach there, too, but Clow, he didn't have any patience for teaching kids.  Said he'd—"

                That was when Syaoran remembered something. He turned around suddenly, causing the boat to rock.  "Oi, Plushy!"

                The stuffed toy glared up at him and pointed a fluffy paw at the Chinese boy.  "That's 'Cerebus' to you, kid!" he snapped, while Sakura frowned.  "Mou, Li-kun …"

                Syaoran growled, ignoring Sakura.  "Whatever.  So, you speak English?"

                Cerebus blinked little button-like eyes.  "Of course I speak Clow Reed's mother language!  What kinda guardian spirit do you think I am?"

                "Then you can act as the Card Mistress' translator."

                The Plushy looked thoughtful.  "Hmm … I guess I could.  How would you like that, Sakura!?  I can be your translator guardian!"

                Syaoran crossed his arms irritably.  "Good, then I can stop."

                Sakura, on the other hand, smiled brilliantly.  "That's really smart, Li-kun!" she exclaimed.  "Maybe Kero-chan can help you with your English, too."

                Syaoran managed to look more horrified than he felt.  "Take lessons from a stuffed toy!?" he cried, affronted.

                "Oi, kid!  Don't make me bite you!" hissed the Plushy.

                "I don't need any lessons in English from you."

                "I wouldn't give 'em to ya if you begged!"

                "Hoeee~~eh …" moaned Sakura as the argument escalated.

                But at that moment the boat was plunged into darkness as they passed into a tunnel, initiating shrieks from several of the other boats and a startled, "Hoeh!?" from the Card Mistress, until the boats emerged in a small chamber under the castle.  Hagrid (Harry seemed to really like him; he'd waved to the half-giant and the huge man had waved back) stepped off his boat and boomed, "All y' first years, follow me.  I'll take y' up to the Great Hall fer the Sortin'."

                Syaoran grimaced at the thick accent, trying to make sense of the English and frustrated that he didn't get it right away.  Sure, Mama, English is easy, until someone talks too fast … too many rules in this stupid language!

                But Sakura just looked at the Plushy, sweetly innocent.  "What did he say, Kero-chan?"

                The stuffed animal crossed his arms proudly and translated.

                To his utter and unending shame … Syaoran listened.

*   *   *

                "There are four Houses here at Hogwarts, each with its own special qualities and rich history, and the Sorting will pick which House you are in.  The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because your House will be like your family – a very big family."

                Professor McGonagall had an accent too, but hers gave her words a crisp, clear sound, and Syaoran had relatively no trouble understanding her.  Next to him, the Plushy prattled away in Japanese, translating fluidly for the Card Mistress.  Syaoran did his level best to ignore the stuffed animal.

                "… Follow me," the Professor commanded, leading the way into the Great Hall of the castle.

                Syaoran shuffled along at the tail end of the procession, taking in everything with wide eyes.  Even the Plushy shut up for a bit as they walked down the center of the long hall, flanked on both sides by fellow students of Hogwarts School.  Candles enchanted to float (What an extravagant use of magic that is, Syaoran thought) lit the Hall from one end to the other; the ceiling seemed to be open to the night sky, for it was covered with stars and a few wispy clouds.

                "What's a Sorting?" Sakura whispered to Syaoran as they approached the far end of the Hall, where the Professors sat.  Professor McGonagall had stopped just before the professor's table, standing next to a ratty old wizard's hat on a tall stool.

                Syaoran shook his head.  "How should I know?  I've never—"

                "That's the Sorting Hat," announced Cerebus in a stage whisper, pointing at the ratty hat; Syaoran cringed at how loud it seemed in the sudden silence filling the Great Hall.  "It's got to be!  Clow Reed told me all about—"

                "Hoeh!" exclaimed Sakura, causing both Syaoran and the Plushy to jump and stare at the hat.

                It had sprouted a mouth!  The seam at its base opened up, and it began to recite a poem!

                Syaoran listened in silence.

*   *   *

                Sakura was pretty sure she was going to like this place, if only because of everyone she'd met. The people on the train had been extraordinarily nice, and she hoped she'd get to see them again.  The giant man (Li-kun called him Hagrid) was loud but friendly, and even though McGonagall-sensei seemed strict, she seemed like a kind person as well.  The only people she didn't like so far was 'Malfoy' and his friends; the people they'd met on the train didn't like them too much either, and it wasn't hard to for Sakura to understand why.  Of course, that was only a first impression, and Li-kun hadn't seemed very nice the first time they'd met, either …

                Hogwarts was teeming with magic; even her untrained ability to sense such things was able to detect it.  It was so beautiful, and very old.  But the Great Hall simply took her breath away; the floating candles, the enchanted ceiling (it had to be enchanted; the 'painted' clouds were floating across the starry sky), and the hundreds of students all wearing their black robes.  Even Kero-chan seemed amazed; he floated over her shoulder with his little stuffed arms crossed over his chest and blinked his button eyes.  Li-kun seemed like he was trying to appear bored, but he was looking at everything too.  Sakura barely remembered not to giggle.  Li-kun could be so silly about things like that …

                McGonagall-sensei had stopped at the front of the Hall, standing next to a stool with an old, tired-looking hat on top of it.  That hat looks like it's sad, Sakura thought.  It needs a good washing.

                But that was beside the point.  McGonagall-sensei had said something about a Sorting … "What's a Sorting?" she asked Li-kun in a whisper.  Maybe it was something magical.  Li-kun knew a lot more about that stuff than she did.

                But Li-kun shook his head and looked vaguely annoyed.  "How should I know?" he asked in a slightly rude tone.  "I've never—"

                But just then Kero-chan spoke up, causing both Sakura and Li-kun to blink.  "That's the Sorting Hat!" he exclaimed in a loud whisper, pointing at the sad hat on the stool.  Li-kun cringed slightly, although Sakura wasn't entirely sure why he did.  She looked up at the hat, tilting her head slightly, as Kero-chan continued, "It's got to be!  Clow Reed told me all about—"

                And just then, something extraordinary happened.  The seam on the brim of the hat opened up, and it began to recite a poem!  "Hoeh!" she exclaimed, startled.  Inanimate objects couldn't just suddenly up and talk … could they?  She glanced at Kero-chan and thought that maybe if stuffed animals could talk and do amazing things, so could hats.

                Kero-chan didn't translate the poem, but Sakura didn't really expect him to.  It sounded pretty amazing even without understanding the words; the end of the lines rhymed and it had a steady beat, and she recognized some of the words from when McGonagall-sensei had talked to them earlier – "Hufflepuff", "Gryffindor", "Ravenclaw", and "Slytherin".  They were the names of the Houses, but that was all she was sure about; it sounded like the Sorting was supposed to be a way of deciding which House you were in.

                McGonagall-sensei had said that a House was like a family.  Sakura sort of hoped she'd be in the same House as Li-kun; she didn't know anyone else, and at least Li-kun knew Japanese.

                The hat stopped reciting the poem and everyone clapped enthusiastically, including Sakura.  Li-kun clapped reluctantly.  "Oh come on, Li-kun," she said.  "It was pretty!"

"It was all right," Li-kun conceded.  Sakura grinned and clapped louder.

McGonagall-sensei began speaking again, picking up the hat; Kero-chan nudged her.  "She's saying that when she calls your name, you should come up and sit on the stool and put on the hat.  By the way, I was right," he added proudly, crossing his arms and puffing out his tiny chest.  "It is the Sorting Hat!"

"Is that the Sorting, then?  Putting on the hat?" Sakura asked.

Kero-chan shrugged.  "Looks that way!  Clow Reed never said there was anything else."

"Amberson, Melanie," called McGonagall-sensei, and a girl with dark brown curly hair and freckles meekly stepped forward and sat gingerly on the stool.  McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on the girl's head, and it was so big it dropped down over her eyes!  There was silence for a few moments, and then the hat suddenly cried out in a very loud voice, "RAVENCLAW!"

The girl jumped up from her seat with a big, relieved smile on her face before rushing off to sit at one of the long tables of the Great Hall amidst much cheering and whistling.  "That's the Ravenclaw table," Kero-chan whispered.  "Each table is a House, so when the Sorting Hat picks a house for ya, you go sit at that House's table, okay?"

Sakura nodded, looking determined.  This wasn't so bad; in fact, it was kind of exciting!

"Oi, Plushy," whispered Li-kun, who was frowning deeply.  "What's the Hat doing when it's on your head, anyway?"

"I don't know," shrugged Kero-chan, waving the boy off.  "It's not like I've ever been Sorted!"

*   *   *

                Sakura found herself a little nervous when McGonagall-sensei finally called, "Kinomoto, Sakura," leaving an odd little pause between her last name and her first.  She hurried forward, glancing back at Li-kun and Kero-chan; Kero-chan waved and grinned widely at her, but Li-kun just crossed his arms and looked back.  She sat on the stool.

                McGonagall-sensei asked her something before she put on the hat, but all Sakura could understand was, "student" and "Japan".  She nodded, hoping that it was the right answer, and McGonagall-sensei smiled at her briefly.  "Good luck," she said in Japanese before dropping the Sorting Hat gently on her head, blocking all sight.

                It was silent and dark for a moment, but then she thought she heard a tiny voice speaking; it wasn't speaking Japanese, but nor was it speaking English; it just seemed to speak a language that absolutely anyone could understand.  "Hmm, hmm, very interesting," it said.  "You're quite the young girl, you are – you have a lot of potential."

                "Who are you?" she asked quietly.

                "Why, I'm the Sorting Hat, who else?" the voice chuckled.  "Now, hmm, let's see about a House for you … you're very clever, although you might not realize it just yet, but you're also very loyal to your friends, aren't you? Hmm, very loyal … but it seems quite obvious to me that with your bravery, you belong nowhere else but GRYFFINDOR!"  It shouted the last word, and suddenly McGonagall-sensei was taking off the Hat and ushering her down the small flight of stairs towards the table where a hundred students were whooping and cheering and clapping and stamping their feet.

                "Sankyuu, Sorting Hat-san," she said to the Hat in McGonagall's hands before she went down the steps and hurried towards the table; Kero-chan joined her and patted her on the head.  "Not Clow Reed's house, but great nonetheless!" he grinned.

                Sakura smiled a little nervously as she scanned the endless sea of faces, looking for a seat; as a result, she was very surprised when a familiar voice called, "Sakura!" She glanced up in the direction of the voice and found herself looking at the girl she'd met on the train – Hermione Granger.  She patted the seat next to her.  "Sit!" she said encouragingly.

                Sakura sighed her relief and joined the older students, who congratulated her.  "I hope Li-kun ends up in Gryffindor, too," she confessed to Kero-chan.

                "I don't!" Kero-chan said fiercely.  "That kid drives me nuts!"

*   *   *

                "Li, Xiao-lang," Professor McGonagall said, reading the Chinese name with a good accent.  Syaoran gulped a little and climbed onto the stool.

                He wouldn't have dared admit it to anyone, but he was fairly nervous about the Sorting.  Clow Reed had been in Ravenclaw because of his cleverness with magic, and Syaoran wanted to be in that House, too; but now the Card Mistress was in Gryffindor, and he thought that it would be easier to keep an eye on her if he were in the same House as her – he had to watch out for Clow Cards, after all, and they all appeared around the Card Mistress.  And if he was put in Hufflepuff, he thought he would just die right there on the spot; his mother would never hear of her son being a 'meek' Hufflepuff.

                As to Slytherin … Syaoran shook his head imperceptibly.  He just didn't know.  When he glanced at the table where he sat his impression was one of darkness.  It was the house Voldemort was from.

                McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat on his head, and it slipped down over his eyes so everything was plunged into darkness.

                "Hmmm …" said a whispering voice.  "Hmm, hmm, a very interesting case indeed."

                Syaoran wasn't sure if that was good or not.  He said nothing.

                "You don't even know what House you want," muttered the Hat.  "You're very loyal … and oh, very ambitious; you want to prove yourself to your family, don't you?"

                That means Slytherin, doesn't it? Syaoran frowned into the darkness of the hat.  I don't like them.  They feel dark.

                "Indeed, they haven't much of a reputation, have they?" the Sorting hat chuckled.  "It is ambition that drives them, as it drives you.  They're not so bad.  Ah, and what's this … that girl, Kinomoto?  You wish to be with her."

                Syaoran colored.  It's not like that, you stupid Hat!

                But it didn't seem as if the Hat had meant anything by it – it carried on, almost talking to himself.  "You'd do well in Gryffindor, you're brave, quite brave, but only to fulfill your own ends and the ends of your family.  You'd do as well in Slytherin, or Hufflepuff—"

                Not Hufflepuff! Syaoran thought fiercely.

                "Ah, adamant about that, are we?" it chuckled.  "So fierce.  You are quite a case."

                How long had he been sitting here with the hat on his head? Syaoran wondered, getting nervous.  Just don't put me in Hufflepuff.

                "Very well, very well."  The Hat fell silent.  "Slytherin, Gryffindor … ambition and bravery … and that girl … very well, then.  You will be in GRYFFINDOR!"

                He heard the cheering even as Professor McGonagall pulled the hat off his head.  He was disoriented for a moment, but once he got his bearings he hopped off the stool and worked his way over to the Gryffindor table, where Kinomoto was happily waving.  "Li-kun!" she called.  "Over here!"

                Syaoran joined her for lack of anything better to do, and was promptly hugged, causing him to blush.  "I'm so glad we're in the same House!" Sakura cried.

                Syaoran was at a loss for words, so instead he stared intently at the tabletop.

                "Glad you could join us," said Harry Potter, suddenly bringing himself to Syaoran's attention.

                "Yeah, good show," agreed Ron Weasley, nudging him.  "The Hat was quiet for an awfully long time!  Had a time figuring you out, didn't it?"

Syaoran blinked at him, trying to formulate an answer, but Harry broke in, "Don't feel bad about it, it took the Hat a long time to Sort me, too."

"I almost ended up in Ravenclaw," said Hermione.

Syaoran frowned and finally managed to settle on something appropriate to say.  "I am glad I am here," he said haltingly.

"You wanted Ravenclaw, didn't you, kid?" the Plushy suddenly broke in, zooming up to fly in Syaoran's face although it spoke in English.

"None of your business," Syaoran shot back.

"You did!" the Plushy looked triumphant.

"Did you?" Harry wanted to know.

"I did not care if I was in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Syaoran snorted, crossing his arms.  "It is most important I am with Kinomoto be—oof!"

"Li-kun, that's so sweet!" Sakura exclaimed, tackling him.

Syaoran glared at the Plushy, who sure enough, smirked back and pulled down one tiny eyelid with his paw, sticking out his tongue.  You translated it wrong! he accused with his eyes.

The Plushy zoomed down to whisper in his ear, "No, I translated it right – but don't think I'm not keeping an eye on you, kid!"

Syaoran made a futile swipe at the Plushy, but he just zipped behind Sakura's shoulder and stuck his tongue out again – only to be plucked out of the air by his wings.

"What is this thing?" Hermione Granger asked, holding the stuffed animal up by its wings.  "It's like a living doll …"

"Let go of me!  You can't just hold up a Sun Guardian by his wings, you know!" the Plushy shouted, offended.

Sakura looked nonplussed, and Syaoran smirked.

"A what?" Ron asked, making a perplexed face.

"Shh, Dumbledore's about to speak," Harry whispered loudly, grabbing everyone's attention.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts rose to his feet, and the Hall fell silent.

*   *   *

Author's Notes:  And so he ends up in Gryffindor after all.  I decided that the way I wrote it before was hokey, so this is (hopefully) less so.  Thanks for reading – tune in next time for the new DADA teacher and a Clow Card appearance.  ^^;

~~Vikki


	5. The DADA Job Really is Jinxed

**Chapter 4: The DADA Job Really is Jinxed**

By Victoria

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.  Please don't sue.

*   *   *

                Dumbledore had a very unique, tottering voice, rich with years and wisdom.  He said nothing about Voldemort, much to Syaoran's surprise; the recent looming threat should have been a great concern, but he didn't have a word to say about You-Know-Who.  He welcomed the first-year students warmly, gave what sounded like routine warnings about the Hogwarts building (judging by the reactions of the older students), and talked about a contest that Syaoran quickly dismissed as unimportant (at least for the time being).  It was for the upper-level students only, apparently, so there was no reason to pay any attention.  But everyone perked up when he continued, "We regret to announce that the esteemed Remus Lupin resigned his position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor last year."  (Here there was murmuring, and snickering from the Slytherin table.  Hermione, Ron, and especially Harry shot them dirty looks.)  "However, I am pleased to announce that we have a replacement.  Everyone please welcome Miss Kaho Mizuki."

                Syaoran blinked.

                The woman that stood up among the polite applause was unimposing – extremely cheerful, in fact.  She smiled brightly as she stood up, her long brown hair tumbling around her face and her light brown eyes full of laughter.  "Pleased to meet you all." She bowed, nodded a little, and sat down again.

                Syaoran frowned slightly.  Something was wrong here.  If only he could think of what it was …

                "Enough talking.  Let us eat!" cried Dumbledore, and that suddenly, food appeared on the plates lining the tables in what was the most extravagant show of magic Syaoran had yet seen.  And then he realized what was wrong: there wasn't any sense of magic from Miss Mizuki.

                This was not to say that there was no sense of power.  And now that Syaoran thought about it, she had a very strange power attached to her, not unlike the Western magic surrounding them, but still different from it a little.  It was kind of like the Clow Card magic, and it scared him.  But she could hide her magical aura like someone skilled in Eastern mysticism.  That wasn't too startling (since her name was obviously Japanese), but in a place like this, even Syaoran tended to let go of his usual tight hold on his magical aura.  But Miss Mizuki seemed to still be 'hiding'.

                I'm going to have to find out more about this teacher.  Syaoran checked his own magical aura, hiding it as a precaution, and made a mental note to investigate her (and warn the Card Mistress) before he was practically attacked by Ron's elbow.  "Hey, eat!" the fourth-year student ordered.  "The food's great; check it out—" he began to pile chicken and mashed potatoes and sweet yams onto Syaoran's plate with gusto.

*   *   *

                What an exciting place!

                Sakura was certain she was going to like it here now.  Everyone in Gryffindor was friendly, and Hermione was really nice.  She promised to learn some Japanese to help Sakura and showed her which foods were the best; Ron was talking with Li-kun (although Li-kun didn't look too happy about it), and Harry grinned and talked to the two taller red-headed boys that looked like Ron.

                The only bad part of the whole thing was when the ghosts came in.

                Everyone could see them, it seemed, but no one seemed scared, and Sakura wondered why.  Her heart began to beat faster, and then even faster when one of the ghosts sailed straight towards where she was sitting with Harry and Hermione.  She could barely breathe when the ghost started to talk to Harry.  He wasn't going to go away!  Sakura had dropped her fork and hidden her face.  "Tell me when the ghosts are gone," she begged Kero-chan when he asked what was wrong.

                "They're not bad ghosts," Kero-chan had said quickly.  "They're supposed to be here!  They're kinda like caretakers of Hogwarts. They've been here for a really long time, Sakura."

                But that hadn't really made Sakura feel better.  "They're still scary," she mumbled unhappily.

                Kero-chan made a sad noise and hugged her arm with his little plushy arms.  "It's okay, Sakura.  You know that I'd kick any ghost's butt if they tried to hurt you!"

                Sakura had sniffled and smiled in reply.  Of course Kero-chan would protect her, but he was still tiny, and the ghosts were still scary.  Luckily, the closest one went away after a little bit.

                "Are you scared of ghosts, Sakura?" Hermione had asked when Sakura finally managed to ignore the ghosts at the other tables and start eating again.  Sakura had just nodded.  "It's okay, they are kind of scary at first," she said consolingly.  "But you'll get used to them."

                "Yeah, and if you just ask Nearly Headless Nick to go, he probably will, if you're polite about it," Ron offered through a mouthful of food.  He swallowed and continued, "If he's a bit offended, don't worry.  He'll come off it in a bit.  He knows it's not your fault you're a bit afraid of him."

                "He went away because I was scared?" Sakura had asked, realizing what Ron meant.

                Harry gave her a smile that Sakura thought was a little sad.  "Yeah, but don't you go feeling guilty.  You'll get used to him eventually, honest, and he's very nice."

                Sakura wasn't so sure, but she nodded anyway.

                By the time the feast was over, Sakura felt as if she would explode if she ate another bite.  And she was pretty sure that Kero-chan had eaten even more than she had … indeed, the Sun Guardian was drowsing on her shoulder, his little round tummy puffed out.  "So good," he sighed, apparently in ecstasy.  Sakura laughed nervously.

                Li-kun's plate was still half-full when she glanced over, but he didn't look like he was planning on eating anything more.  He patted his stomach and let out a heavy breath.

                Someone somewhere shouted something, and Sakura lifted her head to find the source, but she didn't understand anything except 'follow'.  But who was she supposed to follow?

                Luckily, Li-kun sat up, got to his feet, and started moving away.  "Come on, you," he said as he passed her.  "We're going to the dormitories."

                "Oh," Sakura mumbled, following.  She felt like she could have slept quite happily right there at the table, but it was good to know where the rooms were.

                She didn't really pay too much attention to the route up the stairs.  Kero-chan nearly fell off her shoulder and she had to carry him in her hands as they climbed up some stairs past pictures that moved and watched as they passed, whispering to each other.  At first this seemed rather sinister, but since no one else seemed scared, she decided they weren't dangerous after all.  She yawned and looked forward to seeing what the bedrooms would be like.

                At the top of a long set of stairs there was a painting of a fat lady.  The student leading them (a 'perfect' or something like that) stopped in front of the painting; the lady looked up at him and asked, "Password?" (Whatever that meant.)

                "Dernhelm," answered the student.  The fat lady nodded and the portrait swung away from the wall to reveal a doorway.  The man led them inside.

                While everyone went up two more sets of spiral stairs, the boys on one side and the girls on the other, Li-kun prodded Sakura with his finger.  "Hey, you," he muttered.  "Remember that."

                "Remember what?" Sakura asked, uncomprehending.  She put Kero down on one of the big comfortable chairs in the room and sat next to him.

                "The password.  'Dernhelm'."  Li-kun sat down in the chair opposite her.  "When you get to the room and the painting speaks to you, you've got to say 'Dernhelm' to get in, all right?"

                "De-ru-n-he-ru-mu," Sakura stuttered in reply, trying to pronounce the odd English word.  Li-kun smacked his forehead, and Sakura pouted.  "I'm trying!" She gave him a hurt look.  Everything here was so hard, and she didn't understand anyone!

                Li-kun sighed and looked at her, scowling the way he always did.  "Keep practicing, then," he said simply, "and don't leave this dorm without me or the Plushy, or you'll never get back in."

                Sakura just nodded.  Li-kun was right; she had to practice her English, and right now there was no way she'd be able to get around the school without a translator to help her.  "I don't like not understanding anyone," she confided unhappily, and suddenly, she was very homesick.  "I miss Otou-chan and Onii-chan!"  For a moment she felt like crying.  Then she closed her eyes and pictured her Onii-chan.

                "Hey, crybaby, are you scared?" demanded dream-Onii-chan.  "Monsters don't get scared, they stomp around and scare everyone else away!"

                "I'm not a monster!" she answered in her head, but she giggled, too.  Onii-chan said mean things, but he always made her feel better.  She opened her eyes again.

                Li-kun was giving her a funny look somewhere between being annoyed and understanding.  "Of course you miss your family," he said after a moment.  "It's scary.  But crying about it is just stupid.  It doesn't fix anything."

                "I wasn't crying," Sakura said indignantly, but then she realized that she had cried, a little.  Her cheek was wet.

                "Yeah, well, whatever," Li-kun answered as if he was getting bored.  "Here."  He handed her a handkerchief with a red check pattern all the way around the edges.  "Wipe off your face if you want."

                Sakura took the offered handkerchief with a little smile and scrubbed her tears away.  "Thank you, Li-kun," she said as she returned the handkerchief.

                His cheeks turned a little more pink than usual, and he looked away, shoving the handkerchief in a pocket.  "It's okay." He cleared his throat.  "What did you think of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

                Sakura blinked at the sudden change in topic, but she thought back to the feast.  "Mizuki-sensei?" she asked innocently.  "She seemed like a nice person.  I liked her a lot right away.  When I saw her, I felt kind of … kind of hanyaan," she explained.

                "Hanyaan?" Li-kun gave her a funny look, but Sakura didn't really notice.  It was hard to explain what hanyaan was, anyway.  It made her warm and bubbly inside; when she felt hanyaan she felt like smiling and her face would turn red.

                "I think she smiled right at me," she continued.

                At this Li-kun's gaze went from bewildered to sharp.  "Are you sure she smiled at you?" he asked sharply.

                Sakura blinked, taken aback by his sudden change in attitude.  "Y-yes," she stuttered.  "Well, no, but it felt like she did."

                Li-kun frowned and cradled his chin in his hand, looking down at the floor; after a moment or two he looked back up at her sharply.  "Be careful.  She's got a strange power.  I think it has something to do with the Cards."  Sakura blinked at him, and Li-kun continued.  "Did the Plushy tell you what would happen if you didn't capture all the Cards?"

                Sakura nodded a little hesitantly.  "H-he said that there would be tragedy on the Earth," she said breathlessly, inexplicably a little frightened.

                "That's what I was told, too," Li-kun sighed.  "I think Mizuki-sensei has something to do with that tragedy.  Be careful, You.  Stay away from her if you can."

                Sakura nodded dutifully, not knowing what else to do.  Li-kun knew a lot more about magic than she did.  If someone was dangerous she would be careful.  But … "I don't think she's evil, Li-kun.  She feels so nice," she mumbled.

                Li-kun shook his head.  "You don't know for sure, though."  He stood up.  "You should go to bed.  We have school tomorrow morning."  He pointed at one of the two sets of stairs.  "That's the girl's dormitory.  I can't go up there, 'cause I'm a boy.  Guess you'd just better hope the Plushy can go up there."  He pointed at the other one.  "That's the boy's dormitory, so I'll be in there."

                Sakura nodded, but a moment of fear gripped her.  "What if a g-ghost comes?" she asked worriedly.  She could hardly stand them in that huge hall; now she was in a dark tower, and she felt scared at the thought of being alone.

                "They won't hurt you," Li-kun said with an exasperated tone.  "None of the ghosts here are mean like that – well … mostly.  But if you tried to sense them with your magic, you'd know that they don't have evil intentions."  Sakura nodded slowly, and Li-kun sighed.  "Stop it, okay?  You'll be fine.  Hurry up and go to bed."  He stretched and started up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.

                Sakura watched him go for a little bit, realized she was going to be left alone downstairs, and scooped up Kero-chan.  "Goodnight, Li-kun," she gasped out before running up the stairs as fast as she could.

                Inside the room, four girls lay already sleeping in their beds, and Sakura felt a little safer.  She laid Kero-chan down on the bed-sheets, changed into her pajamas, folded up the nice robes Li-kun had helped her buy in Diagon Alley, and curled up underneath the unfamiliar blankets of the fifth and final bed.

                She fell asleep to the familiar sounds of Kero-chan mumbling to himself in his sleep.

*   *   *

                Syaoran woke up at the break of dawn.

                In Hong Kong Syaoran had customarily done so, but due to jet lag and maybe simply the excitement of switching into an entirely new mode of life, this was the first time Syaoran had done so in England without the aid of an alarm clock.  He yawned and sat up, blinking blearily around the room, and padded out of bed to unpack.

                The robes and uniforms the students had purchased now lay neatly folded on the end of each bed, the insignia of Gryffindor sewed to the right breast pocket.  Gold and burgundy scarves were also offered for the colder weather to come.  Syaoran folded the scarf away, shrugged into his traditional robes, retrieved his sword, and retreated from the room as quietly as he could manage.  There was enough room in the main hall to practice his swordplay.

                "What's this, I say?  A bit early to be up and about, young chap, wouldn't you agree?"  chuckled one of the paintings on the wall.

                Syaoran shot the man in the painting a glare and motioned for silence.  He didn't even know if swords were allowed here, so he didn't really want to be caught. He couldn't _not_ take his sword along, though.  There were still Clow Cards to capture, and he didn't know more than the smallest basics of Western magic.  His sword was a fundamental focus for his magic; he could magnify a spell ten times over if he used it in conjunction with an ofuda.  He couldn't even purposefully produce sparks from his wand, and if worse came to worst, he couldn't fight physically with a wand, either.  It was for this physical protection, and for focus exercises, that Syaoran continued to practice real sword forms.

                "Silly boy, you should answer your elders when spoken to," sniffed the painting, apparently not finding Syaoran's motion a sufficient reply.

                "No speak English," Syaoran answered, thickening his Chinese accent on purpose and feeling grumpy.  The painting reminded him of his English tutor back at home.  But with that, he began to practice his forms, and forgot about everything else.

                Halfway through his forms he thought he sensed something.  He pulled up short and frowned, trying to figure out what was amiss; however, the feeling passed.  He finished the routine, put away his sword, and wandered off in search of the baths.

                All considered, he decided the Gryffindor showers for the boys were nice.  They seemed to operate by actual plumbing rather than some Western-based magic, unlike most everything else in Hogwarts castle.  As he shampooed his hair Syaoran tried to wrap his mind around the idea of a world where absolutely everything was run by magic, and he found it difficult.  Plenty of things worked perfectly well without magic, so why introduce something that had to be maintained that way?  Or maybe Western magic became independent of its producer once it was produced.  That was an interesting idea that Syaoran had only a little experience with.  But still … why enchanted candles in the Great Hall when one could install electric lights?

                Syaoran came back upstairs in a towel just as the other boys were getting up.  "Geez," one groaned, eyeing Syaoran as he jerked on his pressed pants.  "You're already showered and everything?"

                Syaoran just looked at him for a moment, unsure of how to respond, then decided to be proud of himself.  "Yes," he said curtly.  "It is customary to get up early at my house."

                "You're a nutter," the boy informed him, and Syaoran pondered this while the boy yawned.  What was a 'nutter'?  He decided to ask Harry Potter if he saw the Boy Who Lived again.  "So where's the bath?"

                Syaoran gave him directions through his sweater-vest as he pulled it on over his shirt, then pulled on his robes.  Absently he wondered if he could hide his sword under his robes, and when the other boys were gone, he tried doing so in various ways before deciding it was hopeless.  He packed a bundle of ofuda into his pants pocket, put his brand-new wand away in the appropriate pocket in his robes, took out the appropriate books, and went downstairs to the exit to the Gryffindor tower to go to the Great Hall to eat.

                And then he knew what had been amiss earlier.

                He could sense the first Clow Card in Hogwarts.

*   *   *

                Cerebus, the mighty Sun Guardian of the Clow Cards, was getting hungry.  Granted, he was often hungry, but that didn't change the fact that this was a matter of top priority.

                "Sakuraaa," weedled Kero.  "You have to get up now!  It's time for your first day of school!"

                Sakura mumbled in her sleep and began to open her eyes.  "Huh?"  She blinked at Kero.

                "School!" Kero chorused.  "Get up so you can get food!  I'm hungry too, so you have to get me something to eat!"

                "Hoeh!" Sakura exclaimed, sitting upright suddenly and sending Kero tumbling off her chest.  "I slept in late, didn't I!?"

                "O-ow …" Kero mumbled, rubbing his head.  Sakura could be so thoughtless sometimes.  "You're not late yet, but only because of me!  Say thanks," he reminded her.

                Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled.  "Ah, thank you, Kero-chan," she beamed at him.

                Kero liked to think of himself as a tough guy, but he had to admit, his heart melted for Sakura when she smiled like that.  It was hard to not like her, this cute new Mistress.  He was sure that Yue would, too …

                The memory slipped out of his grasp like water.  Who was Yue?

                Oh, drat Clow and his stupid memory blocks.  "Well, get going!" he floated up from the bedsheets and zoomed around Sakura's head as she hurriedly dressed in her school uniform, his injury forgotten.  "Toast and eggs and pancakes with syrup!  It's going to be so good!"

                "Un!"  Sakura nodded enthusiastically.  "That sounds kind of like Otou-chan's cooking!"  She slipped the string the Clow Key was on around her neck and pulled on her robes.  The black, burgundy, and gold of Gryffindor actually made her green eyes really stand out, Kero thought.  "How do I look, Kero-chan?"

                "You look terrific, Sakura, as always," Kero beamed.  He would have given her the victory sign if his stuffed-animal paws had fingers.  "Let's go eat!"

                Sakura bounced down the stairs as only Sakura could, full of energy.  Everyone else had gone to the showers, but Sakura took her baths at night, so the main hall was empty – except for That Kid.  Kero groaned.

                "Li-kun!  Good morning!" Sakura exclaimed, already putting exclamation marks at the end of almost every sentence.

                The Kid glowered.  Demonstrating once again that he had no manners, he didn't even say 'hello'; instead, he answered with a simple, "Did you notice?"

                "Hoeh?  Notice what?" Sakura asked, tilting her head.

                The Kid snorted.  "Concentrate on your magic for a moment."

                Sakura blinked at him, but obeyed, closing her eyes, and Kero mentally slapped himself.  Sensing auras was something he kept meaning to teach to Sakura, but he kept forgetting.  (There were more important things to think about, after all, when his stomach started growling.)  However, he certainly wasn't going to lose face in front of the Chinese Kid.  "She doesn't need instructions from you, Kid!" he snapped, meeting the boy's gaze with a beady-eyed glare.

                "Then I guess you already know what I'm talking about," the Kid answered, matching his glare.

                Kero didn't, but he thought he had an inkling.  Sensing auras hadn't really ever been his strong suit; Clow Reed hadn't designed him as a preemptive Guardian, after all.  But That Kid only ever got this irritable when there was—

                "Clow Reed's aura," Sakura exclaimed, opening her eyes.  "Kero-chan, there's a Clow Card here!"  Immediately she slipped the Clow Key off her neck.  "Release!" she shouted, and the Key grew to a proper-sized staff in only a moment.

                That Kid nodded.  He broke off his glaring contest with Kero to walk over to the doorway leading out of the Gryffindor tower.  "And look."  He pushed against the doorway; it didn't budge.  "The door won't open."

                "Do you think it's the Card?" Sakura asked, coming over.  Kero followed.  "Maybe it's just stuck."

                This was one of those times when being smaller was better.  Kero zoomed down to scrutinize the edges of the doorway for something that might've stuck the door closed, and concentrated very hard on strange auras.

                It was hard to sense anything because there were so many auras in this school all the time, and they were a lot more powerful than the gentle flow of aura that came from Clow Reed's magical tarot cards.  But nonetheless, Kero realized that he could sense the power of a Clow Card in the door.  "Nope, it's a Card!" he chirped.

                "Do you know which one?" the Kid asked.

                Kero opened his mouth to answer in the affirmative … and suddenly realized that no, he didn't know what Card it was.  He gave a frustrated noise and snapped back, "Do you, Kid!?"

                The Kid saw through his bluff, though, and gave him a triumphant look before turning his attention back to the door.  "We have to figure out what it's called, or we can't capture it," he said.

                Sakura nodded.  "I know," she said, frowning determinedly.  But Kero floated back a little ways and sighed to himself.  He knew which Card it was … but at the same time, he couldn't recall.  It was so very like Clow Reed; the magician had always loved puzzles and enjoyed setting up puzzles for others to solve.  In a way, inputting his magic into tarot cards and requiring that they be captured by calling them by their English name was just a big game to him, a parting shot at the world.  And to keep the answers from being given away too fast, he had snatched away the Sun Guardian's memories when he died.

                Kero had never been too fond of being on the wrong end of Clow's jokes.

                And judging from the sounds coming from the bathrooms, Sakura would have to figure this one out quick, or risk revealing her tarot magic to the entirety of Gryffindor tower.

*   *   *

Author's Notes:  dun dun dun!  Will Sakura and Syaoran figure out what Card it is quickly enough, or will someone find out about the Clow Cards?  And without Mad Eye Moody around, who is going to look out for Harry this year?  Find out next time … ;)

Thank you again to everyone for reading and reviewing!

~~Vikki


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